A Tale of Two Underdog Cities

One is the Motor City, the other is the City of Brotherly Love. They are two cities whose reputations precede them. Outsiders tend to be intimidated by both them. I am of course referring to Detroit and Philadelphia, two places that mean a great deal to me. You may not realize this. But both towns have more in common than what you may think. Please allow me to explain.

Detroit and Philadelphia are always in the shadow of more glamorous cities. In the case of Detroit it's Chicago. And before you talk about the violence occurring in the South side of Chicago, consider the spectacular downtown of that grand city. Philadelphia is in the shadow of New York City and Washington, D.C. The 'D' and Philly are two underdog, working class, blue collar municipalities. 

They are also cities that attract startups. Both towns have passionate sports fan bases. The residents of Detroit and Philadelphia take great pride in their cities being tough. I always feel an adrenaline rush when I am arriving into the downtown or in the case of Philadelphia, Center City of these old, American cities - Philadelphia was founded in 1682 and Detroit was born in 1701.